If the plan were to win in 2013, that would be accurate. But thats clearly not the plan. The plan is to build from the draft and through trades for young talent and then develop that talent. Most of the free agents signed right now, are signed to fill short term needs, until their own players are developed and ready to take their places on the roster. The lone exception (and mistake) has been Edwin Jackson. His contract was too long and for too much money. In a couple years, it should all come together and the Cubs will be legitimate contenders. And they will have done it the right way and have sustained success.

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Go Cubs!!!!

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Wonder who the Cubs would have to give up. Like the idea, though.

[quote="RFDC"][quote]Tigers, Cubs, Orioles Discussed Three-Way Deal
By Zach Links [January 8, 2013 at 2:35pm CST]

[quote]The Tigers and Cubs are discussing a potential three-way trade that would send Rick Porcello to Chicago with the Orioles as the third party, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The Tigers want Baltimore involved because they want shortstop J.J. Hardy and they don't feel that the Cubs have the necessary components to make it a two-team trade.

For the O's to part ways with Hardy in a deal, the Cubs would have to send pitching to the Orioles. However, Kubatko thinks that the O's will have to be overwhelmed by an offer in order to part with Hardy. Dan Duquette & Co. are happy with the left side of their infield and they don't intend on moving Manny Machado to shortstop this year.

The Orioles are also one of the teams that are interested in Porcello and it's logical to think that they could just hammer out a two-team swap with the Tigers instead. The Padres, Mariners, and Pirates have also expressed interest in the right-hander recently. The 24-year-old posted a 4.59 ERA with 5.5 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 53.2% ground ball rate last season and is under team control through 2015.[quote]

He's a decent pitcher and his contract will end around the time the team should have some younger pitchers ready to join the rotation and take his place. As long as it doesn't mean giving up a high end prospect, I think it's a good move.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Pod cello is the type of guy June Orr described Jackson as being. He is a young guy with a great pedigree who was rushed through the system. He was learning on the job so his numbers were deflated. He seemed to have finally put it together at the end of last year. That is a guy I would risk some prospects in acquiring

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

If your dealing with Detroit then fuck Porcello and go get Crosby and bring him home to IL.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

You've been a long time Porcello guy, GD. I told you I didn't like him when he came up and I still don't like him. He has a decent sinker but when it's not working he gets hammered because his secondary pitches suck. He'll always be an inconsistent starter because his stuff just isn't good enough when his sinker isn't there. He's one of those 'he's good enough to get you beat' guys.

Replace 'sinker' with "curveball" and you can say the exact same thing about Gavin Floyd. Yet gd and Orr love him.

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Hey Dildo Baggins, there is no inconsistency. I just wrote that I liked Porcello. If he is, as you say, the same pitcher as Floyd it would be logical that I also like Floyd.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Dildo Baggins....Nothing better than two Sox fans arguing about Gavin Floyd in the Cubs 2013 Offseason thread

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Porch Cello is a groundball pitcher currently on one of the worst fielding defensive infields in the history of the game. His numbers haven't exactly matched his pedigree to this point, but he's young so he has an entire career of being mediocre spanning before him.

Epstein probably has a software that is telling him that Porch Cello is an undervalued asset that needs to be acquired immediately.


All jokes aside, I just looked at the Cub pitching depth... it's actually good. Definitely better than most teams.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

I am excited for both the Scott Baker and Scott Feldman era's to begin!

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http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2013/1/1 ... nvitations

The Cubs announced the name of 16 non-roster players they'll have in camp when it opens one month from now.

Last week, I posted this list of seven Cubs non-roster spring-training invitations. To recap, those seven are:
Pitchers
Andrew Carpenter, Jaye Chapman, Blake Parker, Cory Wade

Catcher
J.C. Boscan

Infielder
Edwin Maysonet

Outfielder
Brian BogusevicThursday, the Cubs announced that nine additional players would be receiving non-roster invitations to camp. They are:
Pitchers
Dayan Diaz, Jensen Lewis, Zack Putnam, Hisanori Takahashi

Infielders
Alberto Gonzalez, Brent Lillibridge, Brad Nelson

Outfielders
Johermyn Chavez, Darnell McDonaldSome of those names have been mentioned here before, including Takahashi, who I posted about here December 27.

To me, the most interesting names on that list are Lillibridge and McDonald. Lillibridge doesn't hit much but is a useful defensive replacement and pinch-runner. He had a real good year for the White Sox in 2011, hitting .258/.340/.505 with 13 home runs in just 186 at-bats. Last year he was awful and the White Sox sent him to Boston in the Kevin Youkilis deal. He wound up in Cleveland, where players like this often end up. Still, he's a worthwhile NRI risk. He should get that string on his glove fixed before he reports to camp, though.

McDonald is a bit older -- 33 -- and had a good year for the Red Sox in 2010, when he hit .270/.336/.429 with nine home runs in 319 at-bats. He seems the type of guy who's around to play in split-squad games.
The Cubs will likely add to this list later with some minor leaguers from inside the organization who will play in major-league spring-training games for the first couple of weeks; normally, there are about 60-65 players in camp to start. This list would make 56, counting the 40-man roster, so the Cubs could add anywhere from about four to nine of their own minor leaguers. What this all means is baseball is getting closer. Pitchers and catchers report in just 31 days -- February 10, one month from today.

I am Looking forward to seeing how Baker performs. He's coming off Tommy John surgery and should be fully recovered. He's a guy that could really pay off.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Paul Sullivan: Epstein said that he expects the Cubs to contend in 2013 despite the fact that they're still ostensibly rebuilding. "Otherwise, there’s no reason to show up or build a team,” Epstein said. “It’s postseason or bust every year. That’s what our goal is."

BULLSHIT

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Baker might be OK. Feldman is dogmeat unless he is out of the pen

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Why no faith in Feldman?

Cubs, Diamondbacks Discussed Justin Upton

By Zach Links [January 18, 2013 at 10:58pm CST]

The Cubs and the Diamondbacks recently discussed the feasibility of a trade involving right fielder Justin Upton, two major league sources told Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. According to both sources, the Diamondbacks asked for two-time All-Star Starlin Castro in return for Upton and were rebuffed. Theo Epstein & Co. decided that the asking price was too high and cut off talks.

Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers has an obvious surplus of talent in the outfield but he has made it clear that he wants quality in return for Upton, Jason Kubel, or anyone else. Meanwhile, the asking price for Upton may not be the only hurdle to overcome in a deal involving the Cubs. The Cubs are on the 25-year-old's no-trade list, along with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Mariners. Upton invoked his limited no trade privileges in order to block a deal to Seattle earlier this winter.

Upton has three years remaining on his deal and is owed $38MM over that span. Despite the lofty price tag that Towers has put on Upton, the club is still reportedly intent on moving him.

Cubs To Sign Scott Hairston
By Daniel Seco [January 23, 2013 at 9:27pm CST]
The Cubs have reached an agreement with outfielder Scott Hairston for a two-year deal pending a physical, writes FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter).

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Awesome!!!!

Sounds like a very logical, reasonable signing.

Where did 2012's top free agents land and who's still available?
Hairston, 32, figures to platoon with another free-agent signee, Nate Schierholtz, in right field. David DeJesus is projected to be in center and Alfonso Soriano in left.

The New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves were among the other clubs to show interest in Hairston, who lingered on the market while trying to land a two-year deal.

Hairston, a right-handed hitter, spent last season with the Mets, batting .263 with an .803 OPS, 20 homers and 57 RBI in 398 plate appearances. He is particularly effective against left-handed pitchers, with an .825 OPS against them in his nine-year career.

Schierholtz, meanwhile, is a left-handed hitter with an .811 OPS against right-handed pitching over the past two seasons.

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Let's not forgt this guy has like a career 300 obp. Not very moneyballish. I'm convinced that this move must have been done cause they're gonna trade or cut soriano in the next few weeks.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Cut?

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Yeah. Why not. They can't trade him even if they pay the bill. Why not cut bait? Or do you think they'll get a bite?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Soriano had a big year. You could probably look up comments of mine last year suggesting the Cubs drop the dead weight. But he currently has some value, and apparently is a great teammate. Unfortunately, Philadelphia signing Delmon Young eliminated one option. Arizona's extra outfielder doesn't help. He could still be a piece at the deadline, as long as he performs around 90% of last year.

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They've actually been asking for decent talent in return for him (and for paying most of the freight). He had a good year, is a team guy and is their one legit power bat.

They now have 3 quality RH OF bats to load up against lefties. I firmly believe that they feel they need to win 75 or so games this year so as to not to lose season ticket holders. The attendance drop last year was noticeable and another 100 loss seasons would really start to erode that precious revenue stream.

With the E Jackson signing plus Baker, Feldman, Villanueva, the 2 Japanese relievers, holding onto Marmol plus 2 legit platoon MLB caliber guys in Schierholz and now Hairston, they actually are pretty solid everywhere except 3B (barring an Ian Stewart rebound).

They look on paper to be decent this year.

This Hairston move may spell the end of the Tony Campana era however as the roster sits at 42. I would think he has some value to a contender or a team needing a lead off hitter so hopefully if they do move him, they can get a decent prospect or two in return.

The man can fly.

Excellent offseason. It was the best Woody's Winter Warm-Up yet!

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

David Kaplan ‏@thekapman
I heard medicals were really shaky "@BleacherNation: Had long fallen off Cubs' radar. RT @JonHeymanCBS: Shaun Marcum has deal with #mets"

I figured teams were scared off by his health. He was high on my list.

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The 42-Man, er, 40-Man Roster Problem
By Brett on January 24, 2013

With the Cubs reportedly agreeing to terms with free agent outfielder Scott Hairston last night, and having looooong ago agreed to terms with free agent pitcher Carlos Villanueva, the Cubs will soon need to add a couple more players to the 40-man roster.

The problem? That 40-man roster is already at 40. And it has been for quite some time now.

The long delay in officially signing Villanueva – we’re well over a month now – strongly suggests the Cubs have been exploring options more beneficial and more creative than simply picking a player on the 40-man, and designating him for assignment. Perhaps the trade options they’ve been exploring have been conditioned on other moves around the league that have only just now shaken out. Or maybe the trade options are conditioned on other teams pulling things off that they haven’t yet been able to pull off. There’s so many possibilities that range from a big deal involving guys like Alfonso Soriano or Carlos Marmol, down to a minor prospect swap involving a Logan Watkins or Junior Lake. Clearly, things are being discussed – and have been for a while.

In any case, at some point, the Cubs are going to run out of time to be creative, and they’ll simply have to go the DFA route. With Hairston coming into the fold, the chances they’ll be able to clear enough 40-man space organically through trades is even smaller.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the current 40-man, and discuss which players the Cubs are most likely to DFA, and then likely expose to waivers (an exercise we performed earlier this Winter – the 40-man has been a constant issue).

Bringing Hairston on board would give the Cubs nine outfielders on the 40-man roster, which is a very healthy amount. It’s fair to assume that the Cubs will look to drop an outfielder, and it may well be Tony Campana. Valuable to the right team, Campana’s limited skill set (elite speed, fringe everything else) isn’t a perfect fit for a team like the Cubs, which is not expected to be so good that a 25th man like Campana is a desirable thing. If Campana was DFA’d, and then waived, would he clear waivers? He actually might. Teams’ 40-man rosters are very full this time of year, and the aforementioned skill set is really only attractive to a small subset of teams. If none of them can take him on, then he’d clear. Still, it’s a risk.

If the Cubs booted a pitcher to accommodate Villanueva, the names considered would probably be Lendy Castillo, Chris Rusin, Brooks Raley, and Hector Rondon. Assuming the Cubs were set on keeping their Rule 5 pick Rondon, and assuming they like the depth that guys like Rusin and Raley provide, the loser could be last year’s Rule 5 pick, Castillo. That might leave a sour taste in some mouths, given the lengths to which the Cubs went to keep him last year, but he might be the guy with the best chance of clearing waivers. He remains a talented, but unpolished arm, which could be difficult for a team to stash on the 40-man at this time of year.

Steve Clevenger is another possible DFA candidate, but I doubt the Cubs would pull that trigger unless they knew he would clear waivers, or believed that someone like minor league signee JC Boscan can adequately serve as a third catcher on the roster.

Thoughts? It’s a tricky issue when you have to discuss risking losing young players for nothing, but that’s the nature of a roster like the Cubs’, which features several young players who aren’t yet ready to contribute at the big league level.

Hopefully the Cubs can pull off a trade or two to moot this whole discussion.

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No one is going to pick up Stevie Ballgame if they place him on waivers. I wouldn't be shocked to see Soriano traded as he was pretty productive last year. There is no way in hell they cut him. Get Marmol the hell out of town already. It kills the moral, whatever moral there is, for the entire roster to watch him piss away the few games they have a lead in.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!